


A Bar on Sayzuno

by SolosOrca



Series: Space AU [5]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: F/F, M/M, Space AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 14:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11511291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolosOrca/pseuds/SolosOrca
Summary: Eiji meets a hot doctor and Ryoma struggles with his relationship with Tezuka.





	A Bar on Sayzuno

Sayzuno was a planet on the outskirts on the inner rim. Despite having voices that were so high pitched it was impossible to for humans to hear, the Sayzunians had been among the first people that humans had forged trade agreements with. The planet was luscious and beautiful, it's buildings made from a white, iridescent material that was so strong that huge structures could be made out of wisps of it. The entire planet was a rain forest and the buildings wound their way around trees and given the long, elegant look of the residents, it was often known as the 'Elf Planet'.  
  
The Seishun had docked in the capital city Zuno to take on supplies and give her crew some much deserved leave.  
Eiji walked down one of the main shopping streets on the planet, bustling with tourists from all over the galaxy. The Sayzunians may have begun by trading exotic woods with humans, but tourism was now their main trade, with people flocking to see the stunning vegetation and ethereal building. He'd been here quite a few times, but it still never failed to amaze him.  
  
He was heading to the bar he usual frequented during his time on Sayzuno. As a fighter pilot, he rarely had time too to explore planets as he was on standby in case the planet was attacked for helping the (IESF), so he savoured the little time he had. The bar was tucked away up a long stairway spiralling up into a tree, one that intimidated most tourists at the mere sight. As such, it was well loved by the crew of the Seishun, especially the more famous fighter pilots.  
  
Echizen was waiting for him in the bar, drinking a collection of colourful nectars layered upon each other.  
  
"You didn't buy one for me?" Eiji whined, throwing an arm around his squadron leader.  
  
"Use your own money," Echizen grumbled.  
  
"You're my boss, you should treat me."  
  
"And you're older than me, so you should buy me a drink," Echizen said and Eiji poked his cheek.  
  
In the end he went to buy his own drink. Echizen was stingy even though he got paid way more than Eiji!  
  
"Get me one too!" Echizen called after him.  
  
The bar itself was crowded, full of Seishun personnel. Most let Eiji through, wanting to get in the good books of one of the most elite pilots on their ship. It was certainly one of the nice perks of being a pilot.  
  
"Sorry," he said, when he assumed the man in front of him was going to move but didn't, causing Eiji to walk right into him.  
  
"It's fine," the man said cheerfully, shuffling aside to let Eiji to the bar. His hair was immaculately slicked back with an undercut, but what caught Eiji's attention was his lovely green eyes.  
  
'Hi, you're cute, let me buy you a drink,' was what his brain was yelling at him to say, but his tongue tripped over itself and all he could come out with was "Hi."  
  
The man was about to return the greeting, but the barmaid interrupted.  
  
"What can I get you?" The holographic sign in front of her read, picking up her ultra-high voice and translating it into text.  
  
The man ordered first Eiji was too busy staring at him to take in what he was buying. He really needed to say something cool or interesting, but his brain had melted into a goopy puddle that could only make buzzing noises.  
When he returned to Echizen he was holding two glasses of water because he'd forgotten everything and ordered it on impulse. He was feeling thoroughly shell shocked.  
  
"Why?" was all Echizen asked and, like a dam splitting open, Eiji spilled everything.  
  
"It's not fair! Why do people have to be so pretty?!" Eiji cried after describing the entire excruciating incident to an uncaring Echizen.  
  
"Just ask him out," Echizen said, "although he's probably just a tourist."  
  
Eiji looked around the bar, trying to spot the guy, but it was too packed. Not that showing him to Echizen would be much help. Echizen didn't remember faces -hell, he'd once called Momo -who he worked with every day- a tourist when he'd bumped into him whist on leave.  
  
"What if I never see him again?"  
  
"Then you'll fall for someone else," Echizen muttered, looking gloomily at his water.  
  
"But he's my soulmate or something!"  
  
Echizen smirked, "you believe in soulmates?"  
  
"What if he is though?" Eiji whined.  
  
"I need another drink."

* * *

 

  
Space turned people mad. No matter how big your ship the endless nothing of space crushed down upon you, reminding you how insignificant you really were. As such, it was law that all personnel had to undergo yearly psychological examinations -every 6 months for fighter pilots as they had added stresses.  
  
Ryoma hated them. He liked to deal with his own issues on his own, in his own head. But if he didn't go then Tezuka would find out and he would be dragged to the doctor's office personally by the captain. And that would be more embarrassing than telling someone all his inner demons.  
  
Dr. Oishi was his psycologist and the head of the department. Ryoma had a feeling that Tezuka, who was a good friend of Oishi, was responsible for matching them up. It was the sort of thing Tezuka would do.  
  
"How have you been?" Oishi asked as Echizen took his seat.  
  
"Fine," Echizen shrugged. "same as usual."  
  
Oishi smiled. Echizen did like him, but he could be overly motherly and interfering. He could also see through all of Echizen's evasion and lies.  
  
"As you know, we're looking for any signs of distress or unusual behaviour."  
  
"Space isn't crushing my soul yet," Ryoma cut in and Oishi laughed.  
  
"I've known you long enough to know that this how you normally are. How are your relationships? Do you have a good support network?" Oishi flicked through his notes. "You mentioned in our last session that you're very close to someone."  
  
"We're still very close," Ryoma assured him. He hadn't mentioned Tezuka by name, of course, but saying he was close to someone had delighted Oishi and stopped all his worrying about Ryoma isolating himself and lectures that being alone could cause the crushing weight of space to become worse. It had also been somewhat freeing for Ryoma- it had hardly been spilling much of the secret, but being able to tell someone about his relationship even if it involved none of the details had lifted a weight on his shoulders. It had made things easier with Tezuka too. "He gets what I go through."  
  
"Excellent," Oishi said. "And you have some friends, right?"  
  
"I do, within the squadron and outside," Ryoma said. Sakuno probably counted as a friend, he saw as much of her nowadays as he did An or Eiji. "My only problem is one of them thinks he found his soulmate in a bar on Sayzuno and keeps whining about how he never talked to him properly. What?" he asked, seeing the shocked look on his doctor's face.  
  
"Oh sorry. Um. Did this happen to be in Saytha bar?"  
  
"Yeah, how did you know? Oh." The pieces slotted into place.

* * *

 

Eiji knew he was moping and it was pathetic. That didn't mean he was going to stop though.  
  
"Why couldn't I speak?" he whined, rolling around on the sofa.  
  
Echizen, being the terrible friend he was, just kept reading through some mission notes.  
  
"That's how I felt when I met Sakuno," An, who was a much better friend, sighed blissfully. "She was just too cute! My tongue jammed up."  
  
Echizen made a disgusted noise and burried himself beeper in the notes.  
  
"So unromantic," An huffed, throwing a cushion at him.  
  
"Yeah, Echizen!" Eiji joined in, "You're terrible! You're dating someone, you should be sharing your tips!"  
  
"My tips?"  
  
"Yeah, whoever you're dating must be cute-" Echizen laughed at that- "You must have gotten them to like you somehow!"  
  
"I snuck into their room every night," Echizen said "and chatted to them until it got late and they kicked me out or let me sleep with them."  
  
Eiji had been expecting a lot of things, but not that. It was very Echizen, perusing someone with dogged determination.  
  
"You need to introduce us to them! An squealed, "you can come on a double date with me and Sakuno!"  
  
Echizen made a face that suggested he'd rather eat fuel cells.  
  
"The fact you're suggesting that is the reason I haven't," Echizen sighed.  
  
"You're so mean!" Eiji cried. "I'm never inviting you anywhere again!"  
  
"Then I'm not going to tell you who your mystery guy is."  
  
"You know?!" Eiji shouted, all other thoughts about how mean Echizen was thrown from his mind. He scrambled to his feet and snatched the notes from Echizen's hands, tossing them carelessly across the room. He grabbed Echizen's shoulders and held him steady, staring intensely into his eyes. He had to find out. He had to!  
  
"Who?" He demanded, his heart thumping against his chest.  
  
"Dr. Oishi," Echizen said.  
  
Who was that? Eiji didn't know many people in the med bay, only Sakuno's friend Tomo-chan. But he'd been in there enough that he would certainly remember seeing someone that cute in there.  
  
Echizen sensed his confusion and helped out. "He's my psyclogist," he explained, "I was bitching about you and it came out."  
  
Eiji was too happy at discovering who his mystery man was to pay attention to the jabs. His head was truely floating in could 9.  
  
"You have to introduce me! Eiji said, shaking Echizen.  
  
"Do it yourself."  
  
"I don't know if my mouth will work!"  
  
"Take him to bed, I'm sure he can find a use for your useless mouth."  
  
"This is serious!"  
  
"Why not take him some coffee or something," An suggested, watching Echizen and Eiji's fight with amusement. "Start off by becoming friends."  
  
"Or pretend to be insane," Echizen added.  
  
Eiji ignored him. "How do I not look like a creepy stalker?"  
  
"You're worried about that but you're willing to take advice from him?" An asked, motioning to Ryoma and giggling. "You said there was a spark between you, if it turns out there isn't then you get a friend who knows all of Echizen's secrets."  
  
At that, Echizen got to his feet and stalked out. Eiji felt kinda bad, but it was nice to plan without him making snarky comments. Besides, he and Echizen had dumb arguments all the time and made up as soon as they saw each other. It'd be fine.

* * *

 

Ryoma automatically headed to Tezuka's room. It didn't really matter if he was there or not, Ryoma just didn't want to be involved in dating plans. Eiji and An could flaunt their relationships whenever and wherever they wanted. They could go on dates and not have to worry that if anyone saw they'd be sent off to different ships.  
  
He sighed as he pressed his hand against a scanner and was allowed admittance into Tezuka's room.  
  
Those two were really lucky and they didn't know it.  
  
Tezuka wasn't there, but at this time of the day cycle that wasn't surprising. Ryoma flopped onto the bed and rolled under the covers. Tezuka's bed was soft and comfortable and smelt of his captain. This was his little sanctuary against the world, the place he went to when he needed time to himself.  
  
He curled up under the soft covers. He could easily fall asleep right now, that was until the unhappy, heavy feeling in his chest swelled and he had to push it down before thoughts started to emanate from it.  
  
It was stupid! He had known exactly what he was getting into, Tezuka had explained it all very calmly when he'd been promoted and Ryoma had laughed at his suggestion that they could break up and told him he was never letting him go. There was no point in getting upset about it all now!  
  
He hoked a pillow with his foot and dragged it under the covers with him. It wasn't Tezuka but it would have to do.  
  
He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but when he awoke he could hear someone walking around the room beyond his fortress of covers.  
  
"Tezuka?" He asked not wanting to leave his warm cocoon.  
  
"I'm here," Tezuka replied, continuing to pad around the room doing whatever he was doing. Ryoma sighed to himself and listened to Tezuka walk around the room, the click of heels on the floor and then the soft steps of bare feet. This was all his.  
  
The bed dipped and something heavy landed next to him, an arm draping over him and pulling him close.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tezuka asked, his voice muffled by the covers.  
  
"I'm fine," Ryoma replied. He was really, especially now he had Tezuka wrapping himself around him.  
  
"Is that why you're hiding?"  
  
"I'm not hiding."  
  
"Of course not," Tezuka chuckled. "Come on, let me see you."  
  
Tezuka smiled softly as Ryoma emerged from out of his cocoon, cupping Ryoma's cheek with his hand and kissing his forehead.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Ryoma sighed, "It's annoying we can't be together publicly."  
  
"It is indeed," Tezuka agreed.  
  
Ryoma leaned in and pressed a kiss to Tezuka's lips, pulling him over so that he was lying on top of him- warm, heavy and _there_. "I love you," he whispered into Tezuka's lips before kissing him deeply.  
  
When Ryoma finally let him go, Tezuka leant back slightly so he could thoroughly scrutinise his face. "What happened?" he prompted and Ryoma wished Tezuka couldn't read him quite as well as he could.  
  
"Eiji's fallen in love with someone," Ryoma sighed, "and An's always talking about Sakuno. It's just annoying. They know I'm with someone, but I can't tell them and they keep annoying me about it."  
  
Tezuka just stroked his hair and looked sympathetic. It was stupid complaining about all this, it wasn't as if Tezuka could do anything, but Ryoma felt better getting it off his chest.  
  
"I know I agreed to all this but it hurts! If I was a better person I'd quit and go back to Earth and wait for you to come home from missions, but I'm not! I have to be close to you!"  
  
Tezuka grabbed Ryoma's chin and made him look directly into his eyes. "No, Ryoma. I am your senior officer, it is me who should take responsibility," he said sternly.  
  
"Idiot, I'm the one who chased after you!"  
  
"You know that's not how our superiors will see it."  
  
Ryoma frowned and rolled over. "Whatever, it doesn't change things."  
  
"You're a good person," Tezuka said, pressing himself up against Ryoma's back. "I want to tell everyone that your mine. I wish I wasn't causing you all this pain."  
  
"It's not you," Ryoma muttered, taking hold of Tezuka's hand. "You're perfect."  
  
"Thank you," Tezuka chuckled. "I don't deserve it."  
  
"Can we stop talking about this and have sex?" Ryoma turned back around to face Tezuka, his arms wrapping around his neck.  
  
"Will that make you feel better?" Ryoma nodded eagerly and Tezuka smiled. "Okay."  
  
Tezuka wasn't a man driven by burning passion and never had been, but he was thorough. Very thorough. Very quickly, Ryoma's body was covered in kisses, driving all the worries from his mind.

* * *

 

Ryoma woke up just as Tezuka was leaving.  
  
"Don't stay there all day," he warned as Ryoma pulled him in for a goodbye kiss.  
  
"I won't," Ryoma promised, brushing some imaginary dust off of Tezuka's immaculate uniform. He looked so good in it, Ryoma had to resist the temptation to pull him back into bed and not let him leave.  
  
"I had a thought last night," Tezuka said.  
  
Ryoma snorted, "whilst fucking me?"  
  
"After that- you're too much of a handful during. If you want to tell someone about us as long as you trust them."  
  
"Really?" That woke Ryoma up far more than Tezuka's kiss. "Are you sure?"  
  
"I trust your judgement."  
  
Warmth bloomed in Ryoma's chest and he pressed his forehead against Tezuka's. "Have a good day," he said before stealing a quick kiss.  
  
"You too."  
  
With Tezuka gone, Ryoma curled back up under the covers. He had flight drills this morning, but it wouldn't hurt to roll up a few minutes late looking like he'd just rolled out of bed after a night of debauchery. Which, of course, he had.

* * *

 

"There he is," An said to Eiji as Ryoma swaggered into the hanger, his hair all over the place.  
  
Eiji yawned, he'd been up all night with An planning out how he was going to seduce Dr. Oishi. It hadn't been quite as fun without Ryoma making snarky comments though. They fought and annoyed each other, but it was always less fun without their short squadron leader.  
  
"Ready to go?" Ryoma asked and yawned.  
  
"Late night?" An asked snidely.  
  
"It was," Ryoma replied smugly.  
  
They boarded their ships and, after waiting for the maintenance crews to finish off unplugging the ships and getting permission to go, soared out into space.  
  
Eiji tucked in behind Ryoma's ship as they flew in tight formation. They were sticking close to the Seishun, circling around her like flies around a cow.  
  
"Switch to private comms," Ryoma's voice sounded tense over the radio.  
  
"Why?" Eiji asked.  
  
"Just do it," Ryoma snapped.  
  
Eiji reached to the comms control and switched over the the private, unit only, comm system. It gave out a weak signal so only the three ships in formation could pick it up.  
  
"I'm telling you this because I can trust you," Ryoma said firmly. "Don't make me regret it."  
  
Oooh, that was interesting! Ryoma never shared his secrets. Ever! Everything was just a big crafted image and Eiji never knew whether to believe him or not. Ryoma might have spent the previous night having hot sex with some beautiful crew member, but he could of just slept in a cupboard.  
  
"Spill it!" An squealed.  
  
There was a pause, no doubt Ryoma was having doubts. Then, "I'm dating Tezuka."  
  
"As in, Captain Tezuka?" An asked.  
  
"Yes," Ryoma said simply.  
  
"Why?!" Eiji cried, "he's so boring! What do you do? Stay up late collecting stamps?"  
  
"Yes Eiji, that's exactly what we do," Ryoma snapped sarcastically. "Whilst eating prunes."  
  
An snorted with laughter which soon turned into a cackle and both Eiji and Ryoma had to perform avoiding actions so she didn't crash into them.  
  
"When did you start dating him?" Eiji demanded, "he's not taking advantage of you, is he?"  
  
"Don't be stupid!" Ryoma scoffed, "we've been together sine about three months after I joined the ship."  
  
"He's your senior officer and squadron member! I knew they were the same person!!" An managed to gasp through her laughter.  
  
"Only because you were sober," Ryoma muttered.  
  
"Eiji! Ryoma was sneaking into Captain Tezuka's room!" An shrieked and Eiji thought back to the previous night when they'd been guessing whose room Ryoma had sneaked into. They hadn't even thought about Captain Tezuka!  
  
"Why did he let you stay?" Eiji was laughing now. This was just too good! "Since when were you into old men anyway?"  
  
"He's only 5 years older than me!" Ryoma snapped.  
  
"I need this triple date now!" An said. "I want to see the pair of you together!"  
  
"Like hell!"  
  
"I haven't got a boyfriend," Eiji cut in.  
  
"Yet," An said, "don't worry, you'll have Dr. Oishi soon enough. And then we'll have our triple date!"  
  
"What part of 'This relationship must be kept secret' don't you get?!" Ryoma snapped, plunging into a series of intricate moves that finished the conversation as the other two struggled to catch up.

* * *

 

When they returned to the hanger, Captain Tezuka was waiting for them with...  
  
"Why is he here?" Eiji cried as they landed. He'd wanted to meet Dr. Oishi again whilst looking hot and sexy, not hot and sweaty after an hour of complex drills. "My hair looks terrible."  
  
He could practically feel Ryoma's eye roll all the way from his ship, but Ryoma looked hot with his hair all messed up! Eiji looked like an electrocuted poodle!  
  
"Deal with it," Ryomasaid before popping open his cockpit and climbing out his ship.  
  
Eiji pretended to be fiddling with cool down setting whilst he snuck looks at Oishi, who was talking happily with Captain Tezuka. He looked so hot, how was he supposed to talk to him?  
  
Both Ryoma and An were now talking with Captain Tezuka and Oishi and it was getting more and more awkward the longer Eiji hung back. With a centring intake of breath, Eiji popped oven his cockpit and climbed out. At least if he pulled off his helmet now he could try and sort his hair out before he reached Oishi. Hopefully, Ryoma and An would keep Oishi distracted whilst he stopped it sticking up everywhere. Sadly, he was pretty sure he caught Oishi staring at him whilst he walked over. But maybe that was a good sign, wasn't it?  
  
"Hi," he said, trying to be causal, but his heart beat was racing a mile a minute.  
  
"Hello," Oishi said and the rest of the world melted away. Had he not only been in a world with himself and Oishi, he would have seen the small, knowing smile that passes between Ryoma and Captain Tezuka.  
  
"Would you like me to buy you a drink?" Eiji asked before realising they weren't in that bar anymore. It felt good finally asking it though.  
  
Oishi laughed, "how about dinner?"

* * *

 

Eiji was practically sparkling as he followed Oishi to the cafeteria.  
  
"Please tell me I'm not like that," Ryoma muttered. He was happy for his friend, but also it was disgusting. "I there any particular reason you and Dr. Oishi were waiting for us?"  
  
"Oh, I have a date with Sakuno!" An remembered when Tezuka glanced at her, "see you two lovebird later," she added quietly, winking at them as she hurried away.  
  
"You told them?"  
  
"They're my friends," Ryoma shrugged, watching the ground crew buzzing around the ships.  
  
"And Oishi is mine," Tezuka said. "He came to talk to me after your session."  
  
"And you decided to play match maker?" Ryoma asked, a smirk sliding onto his lips.  
  
"I couldn't leave you to have all the fun," Tezuka replied, as calm and as stoic as ever.  
  
"Whatever, I'm hungry."  
  
"I have food waiting for me in my room, you're welcome to join me."  
  
"As if I'd say no."  
  
They walked away, looking like no more than captain and ace pilot, no one noticed their fingers brushing together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo... This was supposed to be all about GP and then pillar pair took over. Like usual lol. I hope you all enjoyed it! Comments and kudos are massively appreciated~


End file.
